A 24-year-old man was killed by San Jose police on Wednesday night after he fatally shot the parents of his estranged girlfriend.
The police received a call from the victims’ 20 year-old son that the suspect, 24 year-old Mirza Tatlic, had shot his parents at their house on Laura Ville Lane, near St James Anglican Church, reports sanfrancisco.cbs.
After the police arrived at the spot, they found the father, Juniper Networks VP of Engineering Naren Prabhu, deceased in the front doorway, having been shot at least once, San Jose police chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference outside police headquarters.
“The suspect had been in a dating relationship with the victims’ adult daughter who was not home,” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia told reporters, adding that the relationship ended last year.
“San Jose PD got a call from the adult son of the victims saying a suspect had shot his parents. When officers arrived at the home on Laura Valle Lane they saw an adult man deceased in the front doorway suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Officers learned from the adult son that his mother and 13-year-old brother, along with the suspect, were still inside the house. In addition, the adult son thought his mom had been shot,” the chief continued.
A standoff quickly developed with the suspect and a SWAT team was called in.
“As officers were setting up contain and arrest teams, the suspect released the 13-year-old boy,” Garcia said.
Negotiators arrived at the scene and began talking with the suspect.
Investigators learned that the suspect and the victims’ daughter Rachel Prabhu had a romantic relationship that ended last year.
At one point, Tatlic used the 13-year-old boy’s cell phone to call his ex-girlfriend, who lives in another state. KPIX 5 also learned that Tatlic used the young teen as a human shield during the standoff.
“Unfortunately, the suspect refused to surrender. The suspect appeared at (a window at) one point and pointed a handgun at officers. In fear for the lives of fellow officers and victims that still may have been in the house, at least one round was fired by an officer striking the suspect,” Garcia added.
The officers then went into the house and found the two deceased victims and the dead suspect, however, the mother has not been identified so far.
The daughter’s troubled relationship had played out for months on social media with increasingly ominous Instagram posts.
On April 25, the suspect wrote there would be quote: “No mercy on the ones that love you most.”
“We were dealing with someone who was mentally ill,” said Garcia. “He had choices. He didn’t give this family a choice. He didn’t give my officer a choice.”
Tatlic was struggling to find work, and was often seen walking around without a shirt on and was described as troubled.
